Social Buying in the Digital World

Human beings are social creatures. We like to involve people around us in our day-to-day activities, and shopping is a prime example of this. We take our friends and family members along for their opinions, recommendations, and suggestions. With the advent of technology in the digital world, we have taken this experience online. And so, social shopping was born!

What is Social Shopping?

Social shopping or social buying is a method of e-commerce where shoppers’ friends and family members become involved in the shopping experience. Social shopping leverages modern technology to mimic the social interactions found in physical malls and stores. With the rise of mobile phones, social shopping is now extending beyond the online world and into the offline world of shopping.

The rising prominence of social commerce can be attributed to the popularity of online shopping and social media platforms. And so, consumers today are not only making their purchases online but are also sharing their experiences on social networking sites. This way, a consumer involves the people in their social network to share in their shopping experience.

To put it simply, social buying is like a union between e-commerce and social media.

What Makes People Lean into Social Buying?

The main objective behind social buying is to replicate the shopping experience and environment that we usually see in physical stores, malls, and shopping arcades. And that’s exactly what attracts us. With social shopping, the interpersonal interactions occurring while buying from traditional stores are taken online. And with the incorporation of the social media side of things, we can make shopping an immersive experience by conversing with friends, getting their opinions, creating forums for discussion, and getting them to cast votes for the final choice. All of these elements are focused on making online shopping more fun, engaging, and collaborative. 

What Benefits Does Social Buying Bring to the Table?

Social shopping or social buying is creating quite a buzz in the retail and e-commerce space. And rightfully so, because of the following advantages:

1 It’s Convenient

In today’s day and age, we value convenience. Traditional e-commerce might need us to sort through multiple websites and marketplaces. But social media makes it easy to access a wide range of products through a single medium.

2 It’s Easy to Compare Products

We can easily compare multiple products with a single click. And, what makes comparisons even easier is the fact that we can refer to customer pictures to ascertain how the products look in real life.

3 It Highlights Reviews and Recommendations

Through social shopping, we can read reviews and check out what other people are saying about the product. This gives us a better understanding of the product we are interested in before committing to the purchase.

The Number Game

In 2022, social shopping is going to go beyond being just a buzz-worthy trend. Rather, social shopping has the potential to completely revamp the online shopping experience. Already, people are heavily relying on social media platforms for finding out new products and services, reading reviews posted by their friends and by other customers, and completing the purchase journey either directly through a social marketplace or through an app. Social media has proven to be an effective source for facilitating seamless, convenient shopping, thereby elevating the customer experience.

And, the numbers speak for themselves:

• 23% of people’s purchases are influenced by social media recommendations
• 60% of people discover products on Instagram
• 78% of Americans use Facebook to find a new product
• 30% of consumers would buy products through social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, or Snapchat
• 74% of shoppers are ready to make a purchase directly through a chatbot on social media.

Enabling Social Shopping through Phygital

Phygital (physical + digital) can take the traditional store online without losing the in-person touch of an offline store. The right set of technology can ensure that the phygital shopping experience is a delightful one for the customers.

Maxicus Phygital is here to support the social buying aspirations of our new-age customers. Our flagship offering can help products reach a greater audience, deliver a superlative experience throughout the customer journey, and act as the perfect medium to facilitate social shopping.

Get introduced to the world of phygital commerce and notice what a significant difference it can make to boost the virtual shopping experience. Connect with our team of experts and book your demo now.